Bran is considered to be bulk-producing laxative which stimulates reflux peristalsis by increasing intestinal contents. This invention pertains to bran compositions and, more particularly, relates to bran compositions useful in the treatment of diverticular disease and constipation.
It has long been known that bran is of value as a bulk cathartic. With respect to the state of the art, the following references are illustrative. U.S. Pat. No. 366,992 issued in 1887 teaches that a baked confection consisting of bran and a gumdrop material produce great regularity of the bowels. Drugs of Choice (1970-1971) (C. V. Mosby Co., St. Louis) in the section on "Drugs for Gastrointestinal Diseases, page 320" indicate that a bulk producing agent such as bran is useful in keeping stools soft in patients with diverticulitis and constipation and in providing bulk to the stools of patients with an ileostomy or colostomy. N. S. Painter and D. P. Burkitt, British Medical Journal, 22, 453 (May, 1971) report that a diet containing bran relieved or abolished abdominal pain and distension in over 80% of patients having symptoms of diverticular disease. There remains some uncertainty whether a high-bran diet prevents diverticulitis but, nevertheless, the symptoms of diverticulosis are usually diminished or abolished by adding bran to the diet.
Patients with diverticular disease or constipation have been advised by Painter, Disease-A-Month, page 52, June, 1970 to take 1 to 2 teaspoons of unprocessed bran three times a day or, if this is not sufficient to produce softening of stools, to increase the amount to several tablespoons per day. One teaspon of unprocessed bran weighs roughly 1 g. while a tablespoon weighs about 3 g. The consumption of the suggested quantity of bran for the foregoing purpose presents considerable difficulty and inconvenience to the patient. For instance, it is recognized that bran tastes much like sawdust and is, therefore, decidedly unpalatable. In fact, Painter, supra, has suggested that when using bran in a high residue diet, the bran should be washed down with water, fruit juice, milk or mixed with soup or with flour for baking in order to mask the unpleasant taste. Aside from unpalatability, another aspect of using unprocessed bran as a high residue diet is the inconvenience involved in carrying about bulk bran when traveling as well as the personal embarrassment experienced by some individuals on consuming bulk bran according to Painter, supra, when eating in public places. Another significant disadvantage is the problem of regulating the dosage of whole bran which is determined to a large extent by volume and may vary on a weight basis according to the size of the granules of the various cereal grain brans.